New Beginning for Auratic

After years of serving the tabletop industry in near obscurity, Auratic, a more than 200-year-old Chinese dinnerware maker, is ready to make a name for itself in the United States.

The family-owned, fifth generation company has done business in the United States for many years, mostly by performing other equipment manufacturer work. But its newest assortment, launched at the New York Tabletop Show in April and now on the summer gift show tour, demonstrates a significant change in design direction under the leadership of Sara Han, vice president and global creative director, who joined the company in October. Han previously worked for Noritake and Lifetime Brands and as a consultant for WWRD, where she designed several patterns for Wedgwood. Han said she wanted to show the American market who Auratic is and what it is capable of.

“Auratic took years to step into the American market and even right now, it is only the beginning,” said Lewis Wong, president. “After getting Sara on board, together with our showroom grand opening last year, the spring 2015 show was actually the first show for Auratic in the U.S. tabletop industry.”

Auratic’s latest patterns show a clear understanding of American tastes and trends in both the upstairs and the casual dinnerware category. It manufactures in both bone china and porcelain and has established a three-tier pricing system: there are $200 five-piece bone china place settings, five new premium porcelain patterns at a more accessible $143 for a five-piece place setting, and several casual patterns offered as 16-piece sets, as well as a coupe-shaped, ombré pattern in three colors from British designer Nick Munro retailing for $99 for a four-piece place setting.

“With Sara’s input, we launched our high-end formal, everyday bridal, everyday casual, as well as the transition line of Aladdin, designed by Nick Munro,” Wong said. “We did receive very positive feedback from all visitors and buyers at the last show. It gives us direction for developing further our transitional casual line collection, which is exactly the trend nowadays. I believe the current trend of design that the consumer, or nowadays millennials, will select tends to be more colorful and playful.”

Designs are still in development for the fall and spring 2016 markets, Wong said, but he promised more good designs employing the company’s exclusive porcelain manufacturing techniques, which make the dinnerware durable and whose glaze creates the look of bone china.